How life has changed in Oadby and Wigston

Oadby and Wigston's population increased by about 400 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the most notable changes among the local population.

The population changed very little

In the decade to 2011, the population of Oadby and Wigston remained close to 56,200.

The addition of almost 400 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Oadby and Wigston was home to, on average, 17 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the East Midlands

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the East Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Oadby and Wigston

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Oadby and Wigston increased by two years, from 39 to 41 years.

This area had a slightly higher average age than the East Midlands and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 1,400 people aged 80 years or over, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just under 2,000.

About 10.0% of people in Oadby and Wigston are aged over the age of 80 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and Oadby and Wigston by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More homes with adult children living with their parents

Oadby and Wigston saw England's largest rise in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

During this period, Oadby and Wigston overtook 88 local authority areas, including South Derbyshire and Stockport, to become the English local authority area with the seventh-highest percentage of households with only adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just over one in eight (12.5%) households in Oadby and Wigston had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 9.9% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 31.5% to 30.6%.

Harrow saw England's next largest rise in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents (from 11.8% to 13.5%).

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents in Oadby and Wigston increased by 2.6 percentage points

Percentage of households in Oadby and Wigston, the East Midlands and England where a parent lived with their adult children, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Oadby and Wigston

The percentage of Oadby and Wigston residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.7% to 3.7% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.8%, while the percentage of Oadby and Wigston residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 89.6% to 88.7%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 3.4% in 2001 to 4.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability in Oadby and Wigston increased by 1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Oadby and Wigston, the East Midlands and England that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Oadby and Wigston

Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation in Oadby and Wigston, the largest percentage point increase was among those who said they had no religion, rising 8.9 points between 2001 and 2011. The census question about religion is voluntary, so varying response rates mean caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses.

In 2011, 24.6% of respondents in Oadby and Wigston said they had no religion, up from 15.8% in 2001.

Across the East Midlands, the percentage of respondents who described themselves as having no religion increased from 16.8% to 29.2%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Around 51.5% of respondents in Oadby and Wigston said they were Christian, down from 69.6% in 2001. About 9.7% said they were Hindu, up from 6.4% a decade prior.

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as differing patterns of ageing or relocating for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population that said they had no religion in Oadby and Wigston increased by 8.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, East Midlands and Oadby and Wigston by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Oadby and Wigston

In 2011, 22.3% of Oadby and Wigston residents said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, up from 13.8% in 2001. The 8.5 percentage point change was the largest increase among ethnic groups in this area.

Across the East Midlands, the percentage of people from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from 4.7% to 7.0%, while across England the percentage went from 5.2% to 8.0%.

Around 73.0% of people in Oadby and Wigston said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, compared with 84.0% in 2001. About 2.1% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 1.1% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Other ethnic groups (Arab or any other ethnic group) increased from 0.2% to 1.4%.

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as differing patterns of ageing or relocating for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Oadby and Wigston increased by 8.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and Oadby and Wigston by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health fell in Oadby and Wigston, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the East Midlands, except Bolsover.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across the East Midlands saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 9.4% to 5.7%.

During this period, Oadby and Wigston went from having the 27th-highest to the 11th-lowest percentage of people describing their health as bad or very bad out of 309 English local authority areas.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Oadby and Wigston decreased by 2.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Oadby and Wigston, the East Midlands and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

Oadby and Wigston saw the East Midlands' third-largest rise in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care.

In 2011, just under 1 in 40 (2.4%) in Oadby and Wigston reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 1.8% in 2001. The percentage that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 0.9% to 1.3%.

Across the region, only East Lindsey (from 3.3% to 4.1%) and North Kesteven (from 2.1% to 2.8%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care.

Every local authority area across the East Midlands saw a rise in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care, as the regional average grew from 2.2% to 2.6%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Oadby and Wigston remained close to 2.4%

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and Oadby and Wigston by care, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing work life

The percentage of Oadby and Wigston residents that were studying increased from 3.6% to 3.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over one in two (53.2%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 54.6% in 2001. The percentage of Oadby and Wigston residents that were unemployed increased from 2.5% to 3.2%.

The proportion of students increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 2.5% in 2001 to 3.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.6% to 3.5%.

The percentage of students was higher than across the East Midlands

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were in education across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer married people

The percentage of married people fell in Oadby and Wigston at a faster rate than in Leicester (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Oadby and Wigston).

In Oadby and Wigston, the proportion of married people decreased from 56.5% in 2001 to 51.8% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Leicester decreased from 44.8% to 42.6%.

Across the East Midlands, the share of married people decreased from 53.4% to 48.5%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership in Oadby and Wigston increased from 26.4% to 31.2%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 8.8% to 9.1%.

The proportion of married people was higher than across the East Midlands

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Oadby and Wigston that rented privately increased from 5.4% to 9.9% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

The percentage that lived in social housing remained close to 7.9%, while the percentage of Oadby and Wigston households that owned their home decreased from 85.0% to 80.8%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a slower rate here than the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 8.5% in 2001 to 14.9% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in Oadby and Wigston increased by 4.6 percentage points

Percentage of households in Oadby and Wigston, the East Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Oadby and Wigston working less than 16 hours increased from 2.0% to 3.3% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over 1 in 12 (8.5%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 11.9% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 1.8% in 2001 to 3.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Oadby and Wigston increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Oadby and Wigston, the East Midlands and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Living alone in Oadby and Wigston

The percentage of one-person households changed very little here, while the proportion fell in nearby Leicester.

In Oadby and Wigston, the proportion of one-person households stayed close to 25.7% between the last two censuses. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Leicester decreased from 32.6% to 30.0%.

Across the East Midlands, the share of one-person households increased from 28.4% to 29.2%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Oadby and Wigston increased from 7.3% to 8.9%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 41.5% to 37.7%.

The percentage of households with only one person was lower than across the East Midlands

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

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